Winch



Feb. 24. 1925. Y

' A. AVJoHNsoN WINCH Filed sept. i2, 192s IN/ENTOR A TToRNE-Ys.

Patented-Feb. 24, 1925.

ALMON A. JOHNSON, OF SUPERIOR,

FIELD, F' DULUTIFLJWINNESOTA, CONSIN.'

WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR. TO .ARTHUR W. HIGH- AND HORATO'V. GARD, OF SUPERIOR, WIS

'WINCH.

Application led September 12, 1923. Serial No. 662,346.

To all whom z't may concern.'

Be it known that I, ALMoN A. JOHNSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Superior, in the county of Douglas and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Winches, of which I do hereby declare the following to be a specilication y invention relates to Winches and has for its object `the provision of a winch adapted vfor mooring7 towing or other purposes in which it is desirable that the winch shall automatically take up slack on a mooring or connecting line, and automatically pay out such line when the strain thereon has reached -a predetermined tension. It has for a further object the provision of an improved reciprocable winch platform and yieldino' means for resisting the movement ct' said1 platform and for retracting the same; said yielding means being adapted also to cushion said platform and prevent any excessive sudden strains being imposed upon said winch throughsaid line. With these, and other objects in view, `my invention consists of the structures, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter de scribed andclaimed.

AIn the drawings, Fig. 1 is a planview, partly diagrammatic, of one formof my said invention. Fig. 2, is a fragmentary vertical transverse section on the line A-B of Fig. 1,showing the hereinafter described winch platform slidably mounted upon a' fixed supporting rail or base.

In the drawings, 1 is a fixed base of any suitable construction. 2 is a reciprocable platform of any suitable structure mounted upon said base in any suitable manner or by any suitable means andadapted to reciprocate thereon Any suitable cushioning and retracting means, v means may be interposed between said platform and a stationary bearing, as a spring, 4, adapted to bear at one end against a fixed abutment, l", on said base and at its opposite end against an abutment, 2, carried by said platform; and a second spring, 4a, preferably weaker than said spring 4, adapted to ,bear at one end against the opposite face of said abutment 2a, and at its opposite end against an abutment, 1b carried by the opposite end of said platform. Saidv springs are adapted to cushion the platform in opposite directions and to limit its reciprocal movement. i

Erected upon said platform is a windlass including a winding drum, 3, which is adapted to be operated, or reversed, by an electric motor, A, of any suitable structuresuitable transmission means, as

through any the pinion 3a, gear 3b, countershaft 5, pinion 6, and gear 7. A brake wheel, 8, is preferably secured to any suitable shaft in the driving mechanism, as to the shaft of said motor, which brake wheel is adapted to be engaged by a brake shoe, 9, carried by a brake lever, 10, which is adapted to be actuated by a brake spring, l1. IThe brake lever and shoe are adapted to be retracted by any suitable .electro-magnetic means, as a solenoid,v l2. Said brake lever is preferably pivoted to a post 13 and the tension of said spring 11 may be adjusted by any suitable means, as by a screw 10a to which one end of said spring .may be attached, its opposite .end being attached to a relatively fixed anor resilient centering chorage, as to said post.

Said motor is in circuit with a near or distant source of electricity through any suitable conductors, including the wires 14 and 15 and normally open contacts 17 and 18, which contacts are adapted to be closed by a relay, 19, in circuit with said source through a normally open contact 20 adapted to be closed by any suitable device adapted to be directly or indirectly by the teni actuated sion of said cable, as, preferably, by a lever 21 mounted on any suitable support adjacent to said platform and adapted to be operated, when said platform hasadvanced to a predetermined point, by any suitable means carried by or forming part of said platform, as by a iinger22 extending therefrom. Said contact 20 may also, if desired, be manually closed Said lever may be retracted b a spring 21, to open said contact 20. aid motor is also in circuit with said source through said wires 14 and 15 and normally open contacts 23 and 24: adapted to be closed by a relay 25 in circuit with said source through a normally-open contact 26 adapted to be closed by any suitable device directly or indirectlyl released for action by the4 slacking of said cable, as, preferably, by a :lever 27 mounted onany suitable support adjacent to said platform and adapted to be operated, when said platform has retreated to a predetermined point, by any suitable means carried by or forming part of said platform as by said finger 22. Said contact `adapted to be closed successively by a circuit closer 35, which is in circuit with said source through said contacts 17, 18, 23 and 24, and which circuit closer is adapted to be operated by a solenoid 36, which is also in circuit with said source through said contacts 17, 18, 23 and 24.

A mooring, towing or hauling line or cable, 37, is secured at one end to said windlass and is coiled around the same, the free end being carried to any suitable anchorage or to the weight or device which it is desired to tow or raise.

1n operation, when a sufficient strain is put upon said cable the platform carrying the windlass gradually moves forward in opposition to the spring 4, until said linger 22 operates said lever 21 and causes it to close contact 20, whereupon the current iows from said source through vrelay 19,' causing it to close contacts 17 and 18. rlhe current then flows from said source, through the field of said motor, the solenoid 12, the contact 17, the resistance 28, the armature of said motor and contact 18. At the sam'e time current iows from said source throughcontact 17, the solenoid 36 and contact 18, causing said solenoid 36 to close contacts 33 and 34 successively. At the same time current flows from said source through contact 17 and relay 31 and contacts 33 and 18,

causing said relay 31 to close contact 29 tov cut out a portion of said resistance, whereupon the motor current passes through said contact 29 after traversing a portion of said resistance. Approximately at the same time the current flows fromisaid source through the contact- 17, solenoid 36, relay .32 and contacts 34 and 18, causing said relay 82 toclose contact 3() to cut out the remainder of said resistance, whereupon the motor current will flow through said Contact without traversing any part of said resistance. The current flowing through said solenoid 12 causes it to operateI the brake 'lever to release said brake, and at the same time said current operates said motor to reversely rotate said windlass to positively described structure broadly.

release said platform and finger 22 for y action upon the lever 27, or to permit the retreat of said platform to a point where said finger 22 operates said lever 27 to close contact 26, the relayl 2 5 will be operated instead of relay 19,- and the contacts 23 and 24 .will be closed instead of the contacts 17 and 18. The power current will then How reversely through the armature of the motoi` which will cause said windlass to wind up the cable, or a part thereof until the strain thereon causes said platform to advance and carry said finger out of engagement with said lever 27.

I am aware that a winch adapted to be automatically operated-by an electric motor to wind up a slack cable and provided with a friction brake adapted to be automatically released while such motor is winding up such cable, and adapted to slip when the tension on the cable is excessive, is old in the art; I do not therefore claim the above But l am not aware of a winch in which the slack cable is not only automatically wound up by motor power, but is positively paid out by motor power, when the strain on the cable has become excessive and in which said brake is released during either of said operations by the motor; wear on the brake and brake wheel being thus avoided, and a speedier relief of the cable from| excess strain being ei'ected. Neither am I aware of a winchl embodying a spring cushioned or controlled reciprocable platform, adapted to yield in a forward direction under cable tension and to yield in a rearward direction under spring tension, and to operate a oontact closer.

VWhat I claim is:

1. In a winch the combination of a reciproeable platform, a windlass mounted upon said platform and'secured thereto, an electric motor mounted upon said platform, means for transmitting power from said motor to said windlass, an electric circuit for operating said motor, said operating circuit embodying a normally open contact,

an electric circuit for reversing said motor, said reversing circuit embodying a normally open contact, a circuit closer for said reversing circuit adapted to be moved into circuit-closing position by said platform when said platform has'advaneed to a predetermined point from central or idle position, a circuit closer for said operating circuit adapted to be moved, into circuit closing position by 'said platform when said platform has retreated to Ia predetermined point from the advanced end of its path of travel.

2. In a Winch, the combination of a windlass, a cable secured at one end thereto and adapted to be'secured at its opposite end to an object relatively foreign to said windlass, a motor adapted to operate said Windlass to Wind up said cable when it is slack and to reverse said windlass to pay out said cable When it is under severe tension,yielding means adapted to be put under tension by said cable acting through said Windlass, means governed by said yielding means for automatically energizing said motor to reverse the same to payout said cable when the cable is under severe strain, and means for automatically energizing said motor to operate the same to u'ind up said cable when the cable is slack.

3, In a winch` the combination of a re ciprocable platform, a cable drum and drum gear mounted on said platform, a cable on said drum, means mounted on said platform for automatically operating and reversing said gear, and means adapted t0 be governed by the reciprocation of said platform .for controlling said operating and reversing means.

4. In a Winch, the combination of a sliding platform, a cable drum and drum gear mounted upon said platform, a cable on said drum, means for automatically operating and reversing said gear, and means. adapted to be governed by the yreciprocation of said platform for controlling said operating and reversing means.

5. In a' Winch, the combination of a reciprocable platform, a cable drum and drum gear mounted on said platform,.and means governed by the reciprocation of said latform for automatically operating an reversing said gear;

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

i ALMON A. JOHNSON. Witnesses FRED BRosELL, FRANCES WATSON. 

